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FDA says nutrition facts label will get a makeover

LABELS: The nutrition facts label on the side of a cereal box is photographed in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 23. Nutrition labels on the back of food packages may soon become easier to read. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says knowledge about nutrition has evolved over the last 20 years, and the labels need to reflect that. Photo: Associated Press/J. David Ake

MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — After 20 years, the nutrition facts label on the back of food packages is getting a makeover.

Knowledge about nutrition has evolved since the early 1990s, and the Food and Drug Administration says the labels need to reflect that.

Nutritionists and other health experts have their own wish list for label changes.

The number of calories should be more prominent, they say, and the amount of added sugar and percentage of whole wheat in the food should be included. They also want more clarity on serving sizes.

Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest says there is concern the labels haven’t been as effective as they could be.